Cal Football Club

News

Road To The Final: California United FC II

The Most Dominant Team in the UPSL is Trying to Bring the Trophy to Irvine

Published Feb 8, 2019

By Jose Rivera / For UPSL Media

CALIFORNIA UNITED FC II

Recent History:

California United FC II has been the most dominant team in the UPSL since 2017 when it was announced as an expansion team in Orange County (Calif.). Founded by Pete Capriotti and operated by Technical Director Michael Collins and General Manager Ron Gilmore, Cal United FC II has become a juggernaut by creating a powerful squad that employs many former professional players from around the globe, and giving local former pro players the opportunity of a go-to club. Some of these talented players are midfielder Kyle O’Brien, a former professional player in Malta and is the USPL Most Valuable Player for the 2017 Fall Season, and midfielder Paolo Cardozo, the UPSL 2017 Spring Season MVP known for his time with L.A. Galaxy and Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.

2018 Fall Season:

California United FC II started with a bang, out-scoring its first opponents 8-0, and eventually totaling 53 goals in eight games while allowing only one. The club’s largest margin of victory was 16-0 (vs. OC Real Force SC in Dec. ‘18), while their closest game was a 1-0 win (vs. Santa Ana Winds FC in Nov/Dec ‘18). An eight-win undefeated season was made even more impressive with Cal United FC II’s play in three Qualifying Rounds for the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before eventually losing to Cal FC (UPSL) in the now-famous two-legged ‘Cal Derby’.

2018 Fall Postseason:

The dominance in league play hasn’t stopped as Cal United FC II transitioned its focus to the postseason where they’ve faced four clubs so far, posting a 27:2 goals ratio. Not only did the club have large victories in the regular season, but also in the postseason with an 11-0 victory over Kern County Mustangs FC in the first round of the SoCal Division playoffs. A 5-1 win over Orange County FC 2 in the SoCal Division final followed, and then Cal United FC II was challenged by JASA RWC in the Western Conference final, coming away with a 1-0 victory. A 9-1 win over Logrones SC on Jan. 26 sealed the club’s spot in Inocentes FC in the UPSL National Final on Saturday, Feb. 9.

On Playing in the UPSL National Championship:

California United FC II General Manager Ron Gilmore said: “The best two teams are going to be on the field this Saturday. (Inocentes FC) is very organized, and we talked to the owners and have mutual respect to them. The National Final has been something our team has been striving for the past six months. It is our job to bring the trophy home on Saturday.”